You've Stolen My Heart
by SilverInkGoldenQuill
Summary: A series of random one-shots on Skina (Skinner x Mina). Some romantic, some friendships; mostly light-hearted. Other characters are likely to make an appearance. Rating might change but unlikely.
1. Guess We Gotta Share

**Sue me, I ship Skina more than I do anything else. It's my one and only OTP so far. This chapter is as lovey-dovey as this entire book will get... I think. There will be nothing ruder than a kiss, that I promise in advance. If you have a one shot request, send a little review and I'll see what I can do. I have no idea if this will actually get any views, but I could be surprised. Apologies if my characterisation seems off at any stage.**

 **Shippers gonna ship. Haters gonna hate, but haters- go hate over there and sulk in the corner please. If you don't like, don't read. Simple. Shippers- enjoy :)**

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 **Guess We Gotta Share**

The bad weather came out of nowhere. Even for London, storms didn't usually just appear with such heavy rainfall. Well, it did today. It was just their kind of fortune.

Mina Harker and Rodney Skinner were currently having to hurry back to the Nautilus. They didn't have an umbrella and Mina didn't even have a waterproof coat. She was going to end up being soaked through to the skin. She refused to voice her discomfort. There was no reason to. She wasn't a fragile woman and she didn't expect Skinner to have to go out of his way to help her. He was in an equally bad situation.

"Trust me to forget my gloves today," he muttered, looking up to the sky.  
Skinner was already carrying a small stack of books which they had left the ship to buy. He kept them close to his chest and used his coat to keep them dry for her.

It meant he couldn't tuck his hands away in his pockets. Mina had tried to tell him he didn't have to carry them but he insisted. It wasn't as cold as it was wet at least. He didn't seem to mind helping her and the thief certainly seemed to be growing to enjoy her company. Perhaps carrying her books was the only excuse he could find to go with her.

They were still a good ten minutes away from the ship and it wasn't the kind of rain they could wait off as it ran its course. This would be in for the night; it just got heavier. The wind grew stronger, making it more vicious as it fell. Luckily, it fell against their backs- so it wasn't in their faces at least. They managed to hide temporarily under a doorway, to try to decide what to do next.

"Well this is cosy," Skinner grinned, inching a little closer to her. He wore only his hat and coat. But he had some of his greasepaint on to show the expression on his face. The occasional droplets of water had made their way onto his face but mostly it had washed a lot of it off the back of his head.

Mina sent him a warning glare as he tried his luck in getting closer once more. Skinner just chuckled. Mina knew he didn't fear those threats that much anymore. She was having to use them too frequently; he was getting too brave, well partially. When thunder crashed all around them, Skinner jumped in surprise, managing not to curse.

"Frightened of the thunder? Mina teased, trying to suppress a smile.

"No, I just didn't expect it," he defended lightly. There was an easy silence, filled with the muttering of the wind and rain. "Well, we can either share this doorway all day or we can run and try to dodge the raindrops. It's your call."  
"We may as well go now before it gets even worse. After all, we're almost back now," Mina said.  
"Come on then, I'll race you," he joked.

A blinding flash of sheet light in made them stop after their first step. The rain came down even heavier.

Skinner sighed and handed Mina back her books. She didn't understand what he was doing as he took of his coat. He had nothing else on; he certainly couldn't be too warm. He used his coat to keep both of them dry, holding it above their heads.  
"Guess we're going to have to share," he grinned.  
Mina smiled gently, knowing all he was doing was in a bid to win her affections. Though she didn't expect it, he was doing better than they both thought.

Mina held onto her books tightly, keeping them close to protect them from the rain. Skinner was keeping most of his leather coat over her and not himself. Mina inhaled through her nose as they hurried along. She could smell the musty worn leather from his coat which he had became so accustomed to wearing. She could smell the somewhat masculine soap on his body from his frequent cleaning routine. _Pears; s_ he liked she smell of that brand of soap. The rain created an equally earthy scent. It was one of those smells combined that she simply couldn't take a deep enough breath of.

Before she could stop herself, she felt herself lean towards him. Their walk slowed by a fraction. Mina immediately shook herself out of it and straightened up, noticing her stupid mistake. What was she doing?! She was going to end up giving him the wrong impression. She didn't love him… did she?

"We need to find a doorway, I think my arms gonna drop off," Skinner laughed, seemingly not minding what she had done. She hoped he had not noticed though she doubted it. The two sheltered under quite a large marble doorway. It was deep enough for them to face each other.

Skinner put his coat on. Mina watched him rub his arms, getting his circulation back to normal. "Well, we're almost back at least," he said, sighing onto his hands to warm them.  
"Here," she said quietly, taking off her gloves and putting her hands on his. Her hands were warm enough to take some of the chill out of his own. Mina sighed softly: he was freezing. Skinner couldn't seem to bring himself to speak. He seemed fascinated by her gentle hands.

"Thank you for doing this," Mina said, referring to his coat.  
Skinner grinned, "Anything I can do for a damsel in distress."  
Mina raised an eyebrow. Skinner winked fearlessly with a smile tugging at his lips.

There was a moments pause. Mina found herself to be reluctant to let go of his hands. They looked at one another, reading their expressions. Skinner spotted a tiny bundle hair on her face and moved it away from her eye sheepishly. Mina smiled, a faint glow seemed to seep into her frame. There was that same devilish grin on his face and she could imagine the gleam in his eye. His act of a daring gentleman thief was slipping away… or was it? Because no matter how hard she tried to stop it, Mina could feel him stealing away her heart. Somehow she knew Skinner's acts of kindness were genuine.

What was it about this man that seemed so different to every other? His carefree attitude? His disregard for the rules of social classes... or was it the uplifting freedom she felt whenever she was with him? Because whenever Mina Harker was by Skinner's side, the barriers of being a woman just melted away. They became non-existent and she felt unrestrained. Skinner did not care for what was expected from her. She was free to be Mina, and not Mrs Harker, a respectable woman of higher class. It was a freedom she had never been able to have, barely even as a child. Yes… that was why she found herself falling for him. Not even Jonathan had given her such a feeling...

Skinner made the first move and began to lean in towards her, slowly closing his eyes. Mina couldn't help herself, she leaned forward to meet him. No one was nearby due to the rain. They were alone. She put a hand onto his chest, feeling the hastened beat behind it; the other stroked the side of his face. The high class lady had fallen for the infamous gentleman thief.

Their lips met tentatively just as the thunder sounded.

As they broke apart they found themselves unable to tear fully away from each other. There was no going back now. Skinner brought an arm around her back, pulling her close. He took off his hat with the other to hide them should there be any onlookers. Mina kissed him again, bringing both hands to his face, letting the freedom he brought to her take control. Her books fell to the floor.

Perhaps they would wait to see if the rain stopped after all.

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 **Tah dah, hope you liked it. If you did can you leave me a little review please just so I know if I should put some more up, that would be fantastic. Thanks again. Bye!**


	2. For a Moment

**Hi, well, seeing as though this is gaining at least a bit of attention, I'll keep it going for a few weeks. Thanks to everyone for the faves, follows, reviews and quite frankly, even just reading this.**

 **This one shot definitely needs a bit of a note to explain a little- I'll keep it short. Basically, I had an idea a while ago in psychology class that traumatic events can cause phobias. So yes, this one involves Skinner having relatively mild Pyrophobia (Fear of fire). Don't worry, I haven't made this one shot all angsty and miserable as far as I can tell.**

 **PLEASE let me know if you like this idea, otherwise I'll assume you don't and then I'll just not write anymore with this background. Thank you.**

' **Guess We Gotta Share' showed why I think Mina would love Skinner, this shows a bit as to why Skinner loves Mina. Hope you enjoy.**

For a moment...

Mina quietly shut the door behind him as he walked inside. Skinner was hoping no one had seen him enter. There'd be too many questions from the League and he wanted to keep this as secret as he could. He didn't want the others to know about his fear or the fact he was here. The rumors would spread like a wildfire.

 _Fire_.

He shuddered at the image his mind conjured up. Only Mina knew of his overwhelming fear of fire and she was doing her best to help him. That's why he was here- in her room. She was teaching him control but it was slow progress. He still dreaded tonight; he knew things would get stepped up from just plain old matches. The matches were only to teach him the technique for staying calm. Now he had to put it to the test.

Skinner tried to smile as he and Mina sat down at the table opposite each other. He crossed his arms, trying to hide his hands amongst his leather coat.  
"Can I start?" she asked quietly.  
Skinner swallowed and nodded. He already wanted to walk back out the door; to hide away. He hated this. He loathed it more than anything.

Skinner watched as Mina crumpled up a piece of paper about the size of a postcard and pushed it into a cup which was on the desk in front of them. The crumpling of paper reminded him of the crackling of fire. He felt his mouth go dry and dusty at just the thought of what was to follow. Mina struck a match and Skinner found himself struggling to swallow. The very air he breathed fought against going into his lungs. He turned his head away once Mina dropped the match into the cup with the paper. His chest felt tight as he glanced at the fire through the corner of his eye. His stomach curdled as the scent of smoke reached him. The heat made his skin crawl. The flickering red light made his blood freeze in his veins. He felt his hands tremble.

"No... no, I can't do this-" he began, trying to stand up.

Mina reached out for his hand, a gentle encouragement for him to try to endure it. She caught him and didn't let go. Skinner felt a lump rise in his throat which he struggled to force back down.

"Skinner, it's alright, I promise. Please... keep trying."

Skinner clenched his first, unsure of how to deal with his anxiety as he forced himself to sit. He rubbed his neck and was surprised by the feeling of sweat which had already gathered. This was just embarrassing for him.

"It will be easier with time," she reassured him. She gently squeezed his hand as she held onto him. Skinner was able to settle his breathing enough to try again-just like how he'd practiced. Had it not been for Mina, he wouldn't have been able to cope. He'd have never gotten this far by himself. Yes, she was pushing him- she had to, but she made sure never to push too hard. She was patient and considerate of what he could tolerate. This was a big step up from a match and she knew that. She respected that.

"I feel like a coward," he muttered as he turned his head away. Mina reached forward and, putting her hand on his cheek, made him face her. The thief looked at her with sad eyes.  
"Skinner, you are _not_ a coward. What you went through was unimaginable. There is no shame in this. With time, I promise you'll get better. We just have to take this one step at a time. Trust me."

Skinner smiled to himself at the idea of them going through this together. She cared enough to want to help him and went about it in the right way. She was different to most women, who would probably just tell him to get a grip. Somehow, Mina understood the concept of fear and how much damage it could cause. She cared about him.

Mina slipped her warm hands away from his and took another piece of paper. She lit a second match and slipped it into the cup. The paper lit up immediately. The fire devoured it without hesitation. Without realising it, Skinner's hand automatically tried to reach for Mina's. He couldn't stop himself; it was instinct. There was nothing around him he could use to pretend he was trying to reach for to hide what he had done. Too late anyway. Mina had seen him.

She smiled softly in reassurance and reached for his hand. There it was, that same soothing feel which helped Skinner to convince himself he was safe. He held onto her as the fire ran its course, but gradually he forced himself to try to let go. What was it about her that made him feel so secure? What caught his attention so vividly? There was the obvious answer of looks; she was utterly flawless... but there was something else. Something almost... _delicate_ behind her rigid stony reserve. Something so fragile that she was careful to protect it. Only now, Skinner seemed able to reach it. Did she perhaps return his feelings?

No, of course not. Why would she love a common thief? Not someone like her with a strong social standing with practically the option of any man she wanted. He only occasionally flirted for sport- for fun; there wasn't much chance for him to win her… Still, the way she looked at him… There was _something._ Skinner quickly convinced himself it was just pity for him.

Skinner found himself so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't realise he was staring at her- with his greasepaint on. He quickly looked down to see the fire had just died out. Skinner's jaw dropped. For one precious moment, she had made his fear non-existent. It was for less than a second but still… Somehow, that fear left his mind because he was too busy focusing on her. Mina continued to look at him with softened eyes. Skinner found himself becoming lost in her gaze all over again. Those captivating bluish- grey eyes went straight through him... How did she do that?

How _did_ she do that?

How could she entrance him with a single look? She didn't have to even say a word towards him. Of course, she wasn't the first woman he had tried to gain the affections of, but by god no one he knew could ever rival her beauty, her strength… and her kindness. Whenever he was with her, fire didn't seem quite so dangerous. Even if just for a moment, she had made him forget all the hard things. No one had ever made him feel like that... He really did love her.

To some Mina appeared intimidating and authoritative, maybe so; a single gesture could compel him to silence, but that's what seemed to draw him towards her. She wasn't afraid to speak out. She knew what she was capable of outside those petty rules that the higher class held in such high regard. She knew where she stood and wouldn't back away. That was something truly rare.

Mina noticed Skinner was trying to weave his fingers into her's. She let him. Skinner found himself smiling at that incredible woman. Mina turned her head back down towards the cup. Pink dashed her cheeks as she let go of him once more. Skinner could feel his own face heat up as he blushed- good thing he was invisible.

"Let's try again," Mina said gently.

This time, Skinner felt somewhat prepared. The way she looked at him couldn't have just been friendship. Having her by his side made his struggle that much easier… When she was near, nothing else could matter. He felt so inspired with courage. So bewildered by her beauty. He felt indestructible.

How did she do that?

 **So I guess you could say these two one shots have been justification for my ship. From here on in I'll do better stories with more plot.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review, I appreciate it a lot.**


	3. Ice Skating

**Hello! Sorry, I forgot about putting this up yesterday but here it is. Just short but kinda cute. Enjoy!**

Ice Skating

She still wasn't sure on how they had persuaded her to go with them. Perhaps it just made a nice change from the usual routine or simply the way they asked so nicely. Either way, whatever the reasoning, here she was. Though she wasn't sure if she'd regret it yet.

Skinner and Sawyer had managed to make Mina go Ice Skating with them.

Being a vampire seemed to give her much better balance. She simply glided across the ice like a swan on the water. She had only skated once or twice before but she was good at it- her company was not. It was undoubtedly cold that morning and all three of them were wrapped up well. It was a good thing the two men were especially. They had to be freezing; they were sitting on the ice more than they were on their feet. As Mina skated peacefully all she kept hearing was _thud, thump,_ and the occasional _splat_. She smiled at the way they both struggled to keep their feet. They looked like newborn animals, wobbling no matter what they did.

 _Thunk-_ Skinner was on his back again.  
"Ow, that'll bruise," Skinner winced, bring a hand to his hip.  
"How many times have you fallen now?" Sawyer grinned.  
"Lost count around eleven. Apparently ice skating isn't something I have a talent for."

Skinner was stuck on his back and couldn't get up without slipping again. Sawyer had to help him and that almost sent the young agent tumbling down. By the end of his attempt, Sawyer couldn't help him yet for laughing.  
"Who's idea was this again?" Skinner grumbled.  
"Yours," Sawyer answered, wiping the tears out of his eyes even as he continued chuckling.

Mina's smile widened and she skated over to help.  
"Woah!"  
 _Thump_ , too late. There went Sawyer, followed by fits of laughter at their own expense. Mina skated around to help Skinner first. He'd only just managed to get on his hands and knees. Sawyer was slightly better at getting back up than what Skinner was.

Helping Skinner wasn't easy. He panicked and his feet didn't find grip- it was like he was running on the spot.  
"Try to stay upright for more than a minute," she smiled, as she managed to finally steady the invisible man.  
Skinner kept his arms outstretched to retain his balance. He really wasn't a natural at this.

Sawyer fumbled to his feet and headed back to terra firma. He needed a quick break "Be right back," he called.

Mina was left with Skinner and decided to try to teach him how to at least go forward without hitting the ground. It was not going to be easy by any means. She skated over to his right side and took him by the arm. He wobbled again.  
"Here," she said, "Put your feet at an angle."  
"What, like a V. But then won't I just go backwards?" he said, trying his best to stay upright. He had to put both hands on her arm. Mina held on to him carefully.  
"You won't. Just start with your left foot- straighten your back. That's it, now the right. Careful!"

 _Thump._

"Ow. More bruises," he remarked, rubbing his leg.  
Mina laughed quietly, hiding her smile behind her hand. She couldn't help it. He'd somehow landed on his back with as much grace as a dog. He really didn't have any luck with this sort of thing.  
Mina smiled. After helping him to his feet again, she took him by the hand and pushed off, she was dragging him along slowly.  
"Now move your feet, pick them up from the ground. There, that's it. That's it, now keep your balance," Mina instructed softly.

Skinner smirked and felt brave enough to let go of Mina, just to try it on his own. Mina was able to skate close to him, ready to catch him.

Soon there came a wobble, a desperate movement of feet, and Skinner managed to tangle his legs amongst hers as she tried to steady him.

 _Crash_!

They both fell to the floor. Skinner grunted as Mina had landed on top of him, digging her elbow into his gut. He laughed hard enough to pull a muscle in his stomach.  
"Glad I could break your fall," he grinned, looking her in the eye. Mina looked back as she quickly gathered her bearings.  
Mina scowled good-heartedly and slipped back into her feet with ease. Skinner wasn't quite so co- ordinated but he was starting to get the hang of getting back up.  
"I saw that," Sawyer pointed out as he made it back onto the ice and towards them without falling. Mina felt a gentle heat in her cheeks as Sawyer made it over to them. She did the one thing that came to mind, she pushed them both over and resumed her skating, leaving the two baby giraffes to fend for themselves.

Despite the mishap, Mina was glad she had came. Teaching Skinner to skate was certainly memorable... There was only one problem. Neither of them would let her live that accident down.

 **Sorry if it's not great. If you like it I can always rewrite it a few chapters down the line. My writing ability is facing a moment of weakness so I apologise for that.**

 **I'll do another 2 chapters to get to a total of five, then I'm gonna leave this for a few weeks because I'm getting busy. Requests can still be taken though.**

 **Have a good day!**


	4. What were you thinking?

**Apologies for taking so long. Sixth Form was a little hectic so I never had time to edit the chapter. It's here now at least. I'm publishing this at like eleven o'clock at night so if there's any grammatical errors I apologise one more. Hope you enjoy :)**

 **What were you thinking?!**

Skinner sat with an ice pack on his head. He was back on the Nautilus, in the library, after a close call. Unfortunately, his ears were still working as he received the tongue-lashing of a lifetime. Mina wouldn't keep her voice down and his head was pounding. Why couldn't this wait? The thief thought he'd been in the right in doing what he had, even if it did result in him almost being stabbed.

"What were you thinking?! You almost got yourself killed!" Mina exclaimed, pacing back and forth.  
"He shouldn't have stolen from you," Skinner muttered in reply, looking to the floor. He wished he could wipe his greasepaint off and just hide away. His head was hurting too much for all this.

"Don't try to justify yourself!"

"Can you please stop shouting?" he pleaded, rubbing his forehead.  
"Stop shouting- is that all you can say for yourself?" she answered loudly.  
Skinner just groaned, trying not to look at her. He didn't want to imagine what sort of expression he would find.

"A purse doesn't give you a reason you go after a man with a knife," she continued.  
" _Your_ purse. Someone had to stop him," he pointed out fearlessly, not regretting what he had done. That thief shouldn't have tried to get away with Mina's purse after pushing her into a wall. If she couldn't heal so quickly she'd have been badly hurt.  
"Rodney!" she warned. The thief dared to glance up for a moment. Seeing her blue eyes cutting through him persuaded him to quickly look down again.

Skinner had simply _retrieved_ her purse for her… and gotten himself into a bit of a fight, luckily not getting himself slashed to pieces. It was only a bump on the head from where he hit the floor. Why was she so aggravated?  
"Will you please, for one minute, just _think_? I'm perfectly capable of fighting for myself." Her voice softened slightly "You are invisible not invincible- if you were hurt then-"

"But I'm not hurt, Mina. I'm fine," he tried to insist, even if it was a bit of a white lie. His head ached terribly. He wanted some water… hmm, there was bottle of brandy on the table, that was close enough. Anything was better than nothing.  
"That's not the point I'm trying to draw attention to," she barked, moving the bottle away as he reached for it, but her voice strayed. He looked up to see she had turned her head away from him. Something began to niggle at him, was she… scared incase something happened to him? Was that it?

"Mina…"

She walked away a few steps, acting as though she was moving the brandy well out of his reach. Skinner stood up, trying to ignore his dizziness and discarded his ice pack. "Mina," he tried again. He turned her around to face him. Just like that, she simply switched off; it was like she turned to stone in his hands. The words he wanted to say just wouldn't come to his throat… What could he say?

"I'm sorry," he managed.

"Rodney, you cannot just go running off and putting yourself at risk like that for such needless things! Do you realise how hard it would be for me, or any other part of the League for that matter, to try to treat your wounds if you're unconscious? It's impossible, _that's_ why I'm so furious with you. Because if you were hurt I- we could only sit and watch. That's why you have to be so much more careful."

Skinner paused. Now he was getting somewhere. Now he understood why she was trying, and somewhat succeeding, to put the fear of God into him.  
"I know," he murmured. "I was an idiot. I guess I need to break the habit of act first, think later," he answered awkwardly.

Mina sighed. She stopped and curiously brought her hand up to his face, seeing that a droplet had caused a thin streak of the paint to wash off his chin. She pulled away quickly, feeling something on his lip. Skinner knew what it was by the stinging feeling.  
"You're bleeding," she muttered, taking out a handkerchief with fumbling hands to wipe it off her hand. She removed the temptation for blood as if it were poison. It was her way of trying to protect him. She didn't want to risk his safety.

Skinner didn't pay it much attention. He just licked his lips to be rid of the blood and brought his hand up to her shoulder, trying to think of a way to put things right. A sad smile, and Mina set to work on gently dabbing his bottom lip with the handkerchief.

Skinner made a slight hissing noise "Think you can forgive me?"  
"Keep still," she responded flatly. Mina tended to his lip so gently, it was as if he were a butterfly. "And yes… I can forgive you, but please… care for yourself as much as you care for the rest of us."  
"You know that's impossible, Mina," he said, adding a smile and hoping for the best. Perhaps that grin of his could break the ice. She sighed at him shaking her head in disapproval.

"But still, thank you, for going through all that trouble for me," she continued, her temper finally disappearing. She spoke softly to him, which was much nicer on his headache.  
"Not a problem," he smirked. "My lip's fine now, I promise."  
Mina stopped, opting to hand him the tissue. "Look after yourself."

"Do I get a kiss for being a hero?" he teased. Much to his surprise, she turned to walk away, but as she did, she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.  
"Make sure you stay awake for awake few hours to be absolutely sure," she instructed as she quickly left the room.  
"You'll have paint on your lips," he called after her with a laugh, resulting in Mina hastily trying to remove it all.

Skinner smirked, running his tounge over the cut. He left the library quietly, deciding to get himself that drink of water.

 **So one more chapter now, unless I suddenly get a flood of reviews and requests or something. Thank you to the few of you who do read this and a big thanks for the lack of negative feedback. That's much appreciated; I don't think Skinner would like flamers that much...**

 **Please do R+R - even just a rating out of ten would be greatly appreciated.**

 **Until next time!**


	5. Chemistry

**Surprise! I finally thought of a new one shot. I know I said this would be my last, but I've decided to go back on that now. If I think of one, I'll put it up. Frequency unfortunately isn't my stong point.**

 **A massive thank you to you readers. I've gotten my first hundred views, which honestly made my day. Thanks, guys!**

 **A thank you to Shadowman90 for frequent reviews and the follow. A big thank you to sansalannistark for that nice review, and a final thanks to InvisibleVamp14 for favourite and follow. It all means a lot :)**

 **Chemistry**

Mina sat at her desk, writing notes and formulas on her work. She spared a glance to the clock as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was almost time for dinner, although she wasn't in the mood for it. Now that she'd started working, she didn't want to stop. She'd spent hours trying to identify a chemical they had found at their latest… task.

She heard a knock at the door and stopped, her pencil hovering above the paper. She had a fair guess as to who was there. "Come in."  
As expected, it was Skinner, fully dressed, save for his glasses and hat, ready for dinner.  
"Evening, Mina. 'Just wondering if I left my hat in here?"  
"Yes, it's on the bed," she answered, turning her attention back towards the chemicals, though not in a cold manner.

Skinner walked over to collect it. "So, you having any luck with that?" he asked with a gesture towards the vials.  
"Not yet… I suspect this is a new chemical. I'm trying to find out more about it."  
"Got anything so far?" he asked peeking over her shoulder.  
"It's of a biological nature, a plant I expect by its structure."  
"Well, that narrows it down," he remarked. "So, what? It's a poison maybe?"  
"Surprisingly not."

Skinner glanced at all of the papers she had written.  
"You should really take a break, you know?" he pointed out.  
"I'm busy," she answered in a heartbeat.  
"At least come and feed yourself, Mina. I didn't see you at lunch."  
"That's because I didn't attend," she said patiently, looking hard into the vial. She put it down in its little case. "I need to find out more about this."

Skinner brought his hand up to look at her papers a little closer, only for Mina to tap his hand away. She picked up the piece of paper to begin writing upon it.  
"Have you asked Nemo about it?" he asked.  
Mina paused again, turning to look at him. "What exactly do you expect me to ask?" she asked curiously.  
"Well, he's into all his marine biology and whatnot. Maybe he can help you, even if it just rules out it being from the sea."

Mina smiled. That was actually a very good idea. Skinner saw her smile and smiled back at her. She looked back down at her notes, reading, analysing. Marine biology would explain why this chemical seemed so new to her. She rarely got to study any flora or fauna from beneath the waves. Yet Nemo had spent his whole life surrounded by it.  
"Now," Skinner smiled, somehow sneaking the pencil off the table. "Dinner. You can ask Nemo then."

Mina sighed, trying to snatch the pencil back. Skinner pocketed it with a smirk. She grumbled, standing up to get another one from her bedside table.  
Skinner stepped in front of her, putting his hands on her arms. "Mina," he insisted. "A meal. I'm not leaving until you do."  
"You'd be too hungry to stand at your post for long," she jibed.  
Skinner pulled a face. "That's true, and if I left you'd lock me out. Looks like I'll just have to flutter my eyelashes. I'm sure I can persuade you soon enough."  
"And I could always just throw you out," Mina said, a small smile showing.

"I thought we were getting on so well," Skinner grinned, leaning in a little closer.  
"You and I get along like rubidium and water," Mina replied, but her voice didn't show the dryness she intended it to.  
Skinner looked down at her lips, biting his own "That sounds fun, what does it do?"  
Mina could feel his breath and his warm hands on her arms, and a shiver slipped down her back. She couldn't stop herself from leaning up and kissing him. Skinner kissed her back with a daring passion. He didn't want to let go.

Mina broke the kiss for breath. "It explodes," she murmured in his ear.  
"Then, that proves it," Skinner grinned, "We've got chemistry."  
Mina pulled him in close for another kiss, electing to ignore his dreadful remark. She had an idea.

As she kissed him, her hand wandered into his pocket. Skinner didn't even realise; he was much too intoxicated with her touch. With a successful smile, she stepped back, although admittedly with some reluctance. Skinner frowned in confusion until he saw what she held in her hand. She'd retrieved her pencil.

"That's cheating," he huffed.

Mina turned to her desk, placed the pencil down and turned back to him. She struggled to hide a laugh behind her hand as she saw her lipstick had marked his lips. Skinner brought his hand up to his lips and looked at his glove.  
"Whoops," he muttered. Mina handed him her handkerchief to wipe it away. He did so, a little embarrassed. "You ought to wipe yours too," he smiled.

Mina took the handkerchief, carefully wiping his white greasepaint away from her lips. Skinner rummaged in his pocket for his little tin. He took off his gloves to reapply the greasepaint to his grin. When he'd finished he accepted the handkerchief from Mina again to wipe his hand.  
"So, are you coming to dinner?" he asked.  
A rumbling stomach didn't aid her in the protest she had prepared.  
Skinner laughed. "Two against one."

Deciding against arguing, Mina picked up her gloves and and followed him out to dinner. She could tell just how much Skinner was tempted to voice his victory.  
Mina wasn't going to give him the chance. She paused misstep. "You left your hat," she pointed out. Skinner let out a strangled groan, backtracking to go and fetch it. She smiled, waiting for him.

Perhaps they did have chemistry after all.


	6. Request: Nightmare

**I have emerged! A big thank you to Mystery for the lovely review and the request, which I loved writing. I'm sorry I took a while. I started writing this the day I was sent the review, but I just take a little while to edit and I'm sorry if it still isn't perfect. I'm still taking requests you can ask for a couple of them if you want. I'm pretty much all out of ideas for one shots at the moment. A thank you to Lim Yanna Rie for the follow too.  
Enough babble. Here's my first request XD: **

**Nightmare**

The night was still as Mina slept on the Nautilus, safe within the blankets. Yet with every tick of the clock's hand she grew more restless. Although the room was warm, she began to feel a chill. Cruel dreams slithered into her peaceful rest...

 _She was in a maze, stood between two eight-foot tall hedges. The leaves were sharp and black, like pieces of flint. Fog licked at her feet and a grey dark seemed to scratch at her skin. The air felt thick with blood; she could taste it. Her breathing was laboured, as if she were inhaling dust. Mina took a shaky breath as her pulse began to beat like a drum. She had not seen this place before, and within those first few moments, she decided she wanted nothing more than to leave it._

 _There was a noise behind her. She turned sharply, catching a glimpse of movement. Fists clenched, she stalked towards it, placing her feet carefully. She struggled to strain her ears to listen. Her hastened breathing seemed deafening in the silence. The fog weighed her feet down, as though she were wearing great boots. She strained to see through the dim. Upon reaching the corner her chest tightened. She had to force herself to look around..._

 _Nothing. Nothing but an empty pathway. Nonetheless, the feeling of heavy unease remained. Somewhere, she felt eyes were piercing through her and imagined hot breath on her neck. She shuddered, imagining fingers stroking her spine._

" _Mina," a crooked voice drawled. It cackled, hissing like a frail sickly creature. The voice was so weak, she wasn't sure if she had imagined that also. She backed into the corner, looking at both pathways. Her tongue ran over her teeth, trying to remind herself she wasn't defenceless. She couldn't die. She repeated it in her head, over and over. She tried to find her courage. But her teeth were blunt. Her shaking hand slipped under her scarf, expecting to feel the twisted skin of her scar. It was smooth again. The beat of her pulse increased. Her mouth grew dry.  
A new message kept repeating itself with every shallow breath that she took, this one carried no comfort. She was vulnerable once more._

 _A shriek slashed through the air, rich with terror. "Help!"_

 _Mina's eyes grew wide. She knew that voice. It was Lucy, her best friend. Only she was… Mina threw the thought from her mind, hurrying towards the sound of the voice, calling, screaming, shouting Lucy's name. There was no reply. She rounded another corner, and then another, and another. She paused at a crossroads, unsure of where to turn. It didn't matter. On the floor a pale hand stuck out from behind the next corner. It was covered in blood._

 _Mina couldn't bring herself to go any closer, she brought up a hand and covered her mouth, suppressing a strangled cry. Then Mina felt it. Something warm dripped onto her cheek. She reached up to wipe it in a feverish movement, expecting it was perhaps a tear. She glanced at her fingertips.  
 _Blood.  
 _A whimper escaped her lips and she stepped backwards.___

" _Mina..." that same sickly voice groaned._

 _T_ _he voice began to repeat itself, more times than possible, as though it had copied itself. Within seconds, it was unbearable, roaring, painful. Desperately, she covered her ears, trying to block out the relentless noise. With a gulp, she looked up. That was her mistake. Bats. Thousands of them. "Mina. Mina. Remember me, Mina?" they all chattered at once, there was no unison in their message. Legs weak, she tried in vain to run. But she couldn't escape the noise. The sound of another's breathing grew louder, more distinct. It stood out from the creatures calling for her, like the words in a song. "Mina, Mina, Mina." She tripped and fell. Curling into a ball, she began to scream, pressing her hands against her ears as hard as she could, trying to block out that horrific screeching._

 _Like a switch, the deafening cries stopped. Mina dared herself to stand up, thinking that was the end of it. Until she saw movement above her. He crouched on top of the wall. A cry of fear left her lips. It was him! It was Dracula. It was a face that was seared into her memory. The pale face and hollow eyes, the blood still dripping from his chin._  
" _Well, do you remember me, Mina?" he smiled.  
She could see him no longer. He dived on her, bloodied teeth bared.  
_

With a haggard scream Mina awoke. Her hands shot towards her throat to protect herself. She was covered in sweat. Bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them, she struggled to slow her breathing. It had been a long time since her mind had conjured such vile, twisted nightmares… but not long enough.

A knock on the door made her jump. "Mina?" Skinner called from outside. She heard the urgency in his voice.  
' _Mina_ …' That sickly voice from her dream echoed in her head again. She shook her head as if to dispel it.  
"Are you alright?" Skinner asked.  
As she opened her mouth to speak, her trembling lips became too overwhelming. With a strangled sob, she had to bury her face in her shaking hands. She tried to desperately compose herself. She just couldn't catch her breath, she couldn't stop the shaking.

"Mina, I'm coming in."

The door opened and Skinner entered, dressed in his pyjamas. He had a few specks of greasepaint left on his cheek. As soon as he saw her, he closed the door and hurried over to the bed, crouching down. "What happened? You were screaming," he asked quickly. He took her by the hands. "You're shaking like a leaf!"  
She couldn't look at him, but forced out her words "Just a dream."  
He understood enough. He climbed onto the bed, sitting close to her. With warm, though invisible hands, he pulled her in close. Mina clung to him, choking back a sob. He tried to ease her trembling.

"Ssshhh," he said softly. "It's okay now. I'm here, I've got you. Easy… Try to relax."

He rested his head on top of hers as she struggled to calm down. He ran his fingers through her long auburn hair, keeping a protective arm around her, holding tight. "Focus on my heartbeat, alright? You're safe."  
She held on tighter. Skinner was sure he could feel her heart pounding out of her chest. He breathed deeply, hoping she'd follow by example. He sat with her for some time, holding her, shushing her with a quiet voice. He pulled the blanket up over them to help comfort her. Then he waited, rocking her back and forth ever so slightly. He tried to hide his concern but he'd never seen her like this before…

It took a while for her to sit up, having settled somewhat. Skinner cupped her face in his hand, bringing her to look at him. He wiped her eye with his thumb and then kept his hand there, stroking her cheek.  
"It was so vivid..." she whispered, laying her hand on top of his, as if checking he was real.  
"You need to talk about it?"  
She shook her head "Dracula." She uttered the word as though it were venom. "I. I can't bring myself to say anymore."

Skinner kissed her forehead. "You don't have to."  
Mina adjusted how she sat, resting her head on Skinner's chest. He held her in strong arms. From the position she was in, Skinner could see her scarred neck. She seemed to realise, for she suddenly brought her hand up to cover it.  
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to sit up "I should get my scarf. You shouldn't have to see-"

Skinner didn't let go. He moved the hand away from her neck. Their fingers interlocked to stop her going back. He planted a gentle kiss against her lips and they rested their foreheads against each other. "You're beautiful, Mina. And I love you with or without those scars. You don't need to worry, I promise."  
Mina sighed, looking at the blank space of his head. She'd grown used to seeing nothing, and her imagination helped her to compensate for his uniqueness.

"Now," he whispered. "Can I see that smile of yours, or do I have to give you a little encouragement?" His lips found hers and with the careful gentleness of a thief, he kissed her frown away. "Because your smile is the most incredible thing I'll ever see." Mina didn't attempt to stop the smile he drew from her. "Perfect," he breathed. Their lips met again, neither of them seemed willing to let go. Skinner pulled her close.

They broke for breath. "Will you stay here with me tonight?" Mina asked.  
Skinner grinned "You thought I was just going to leave you like this?"  
Mina smiled, but a yawn took over.  
"Are you going to try to go back to sleep?"  
She nodded. "Yes, with you here I..."

"Then I'm staying." Skinner shuffled down in the blankets, lying on his back, letting Mina rest on him. He stroked her hair as he waited for her to drift once more. She murmured "I love you."  
"I love you too, Sweetheart," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight."


End file.
